K'taka govt relents, orders judicial inquiry on church attacks

Bangalore, Sep 19(UNI) After refusing to budge, Karnataka government today relented and ordered a judicial inquiry into the recent attacks on churches in the Southern districts.

Speaking to reporters Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar today said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa would decide about the details of the judicial probe once he returned from the tour of the state in the next two days.

The government, which had initially refused to order such an inquiry, decided to set up the judicial inquiry following a widespread demands.

Corps of Detectives (CoD) inquiry which had been already ordered by the government would also be conducted on parallel with the judicial probe, he said.

To a question he said that the state government had received a letter from the Union Home Ministry on the law and order situation in the wake of violence in the state.

"This is advisory in nature and do not refer to Article 355 of the constitution as reported in the media," he claimed.

The minister said the BJP government would take all necessary steps to prevent any further violence in the state.

Following the criticism of police failing to tackle the situation in Mangalore effectively, the minister said Superintendents of Police would be held responsible if any new attacks on minorities occurred in the state.